Department for Transport

Taxis: Wheelchairs

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of laws imposing fines on taxi and private hire vehicle drivers who refuse to accept wheelchair users.

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the progress by local authorities in drawing up lists under section 167 of the Equality Act 2010 of wheelchair accessible taxis and private hire vehicles in their areas.

baroness sugg: It is vital that taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) services are accessible to passengers wishing to use them, which is why, in April 2017, we commenced the outstanding provisions of S165 and 167 of the Equality Act 2010, requiring drivers of designated vehicles to provide wheelchair users with appropriate assistance and refrain from charging them extra. The law applies to drivers only where their vehicle has been designated as wheelchair accessible by the local licensing authority. We are encouraged that around a third of authorities have or are planning to designate vehicles, but believe that every authority should take this important step to protect wheelchair users travelling in their area. We have provided authorities with guidance to support their implementation of the new requirements, and have reminded them in writing of their role in eliminating discrimination against disabled taxi and PHV passengers. We will continue to remind authorities of their responsibilities so that wheelchair users and other disabled people can travel, free from the fear of discrimination.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

World Meteorological Organisation

lord hunt of chesterton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the UK funding of the operational hydrology and water programmes of the World Meteorological Organisation continues at present levels and is not affected by the proposed reorganisation of that agency.

lord henley: The UK’s Permanent Representative to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) is actively engaged in discussions around the WMO budget, strategic plan and governance reform, with appropriate support from the UK Hydrological Adviser. The UK will remain closely involved in the ongoing assessment of options and the development of proposals over the next 12 months, up to the World Meteorological Congress in May - June 2019, where they will be further discussed and decisions made.

Industry

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Local Industrial Strategies, as outlined in the Industrial Strategy White Paper, will be agreed for all parts of England by the end of 2019.

lord henley: As we set out in the Industrial Strategy White Paper, we will agree the first Local Industrial Strategies by March 2019. We are working with Mayoral Combined Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) to develop Local Industrial Strategies that set out ambitious visions for places, addressing local strengths, challenges and opportunities. I have been very encouraged by the enthusiasm across the country for this approach. We are initially developing Local Industrial Strategies in Greater Manchester, the West Midlands and partners across the Cambridge – Milton Keynes – Oxford corridor. Local Industrial Strategies will establish new ways of working between national and local leaders in both the public and private sectors. This will build on the excellent work since 2010 by LEPs and local government in delivering City, Growth and Devolution Deals.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Turkey: Prisoners

lord balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 17 April (HL6964), whether they will now make representations to the government of Turkey regarding the continued detention of Seyran Demir and Sise Bingol.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK regularly raises with the Turkish Government the need for progress on the cases of individuals detained following the attempted coup in 2016. The Prime Minister raised detention issues with President Erdogan during his visit to the UK in May, and underlined that we want to see democratic values and international human rights obligations upheld in Turkey.

Tekin Ipek

lord balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to make representations to the government of Turkey that Teken Ipek, who has been imprisoned for over two years without being charged, should receive swift access to justice and that before his trial consideration should be given to releasing him.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: It is important that the Turkish Government's response to the coup attempt and the on-going terrorist challenge, is lawful, measured and democratic. We have highlighted to the Turkish Government our view that the right to a fair trial should be protected and Turkey's international obligations upheld.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Exports

lord campbell of pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment of the adherence to human rights they will make when considering to which countries the UK fleet of Panther Command and Liaison Vehicles might be sold.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government will consider export licence applications for these vehicles, like all other export licence applications, on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU & National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. The Criteria state, among other things, that the Government will not grant a licence where there is a clear risk that the items might be used for internal repression or in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law. An assessment of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country of final destination as well as respect by that country for international humanitarian law is therefore central to the licensing process.

Turkey: LGBT People

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations about the suppression of LGBTI rights in Turkey the Prime Minister made to the President of Turkey during his recent visit to London.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Prime Minister underlined to President Erdogan during his visit that we want to see democratic values and international human rights obligations upheld in Turkey.

Turkey: LGBT People

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Turkey about the right of LGBTI Pride to take place in Istanbul this year.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We support the rights of LGBTI groups in Turkey and regularly urge Turkey to work towards full protection of the right to freedom of expression and assembly. The UK provides project support to Turkish civil society organisations working to protect and promote fundamental freedoms. In recent years we have funded projects supporting groups working on freedom of expression and women's, minority and LGBTI rights.

Nicaragua: Human Rights

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to support the UN's condemnation of widespread extrajudicial killings, injuries, arrests and torture of democracy activists in Nicaragua.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Our Embassy in Costa Rica, also accredited to Nicaragua, has been following developments closely. The UK was part of EU messages of condemnation and called for restraint immediately after protests turned violent last month. We have also encouraged resolution through dialogue and urged the Nicaraguan government to respect the right to freedom of expression and assembly. For stability to return, the inclusive dialogue promised by the authorities should proceed under peaceful conditions and with full respect for freedom of expression.The British Government condemns violence against peaceful protesters, especially the use of live ammunition, and we urge the Nicaraguan Government to ensure a thorough investigation of all reports of human rights abuses.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Customs Unions

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government in what circumstances would any backstop period, when the UK remained part of the Customs Union after leaving the EU, be enacted.

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the duration of any backstop period, when the UK remained part of the Customs Union after leaving the EU.

lord callanan: We agreed in the Joint Report that a backstop option to avoid a hard border in Northern Ireland and Ireland and maintain the economic integrity of the UK should be translated into legally binding text. The Prime Minister has been clear that the current drafting of the EU’s backstop proposal is unacceptable. We will bring forward a our own proposal in due course.

Professions: Qualifications

lord trees: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progressthey have made on themutual recognition of professional qualificationsin the Brexit negotiations.

lord callanan: As part of the Withdrawal Agreement, we have agreed the continued recognition of qualifications for residents and frontier workers, where recognition decisions were received or where recognition procedures were ongoing, before the end of the implementation period. This will cover qualifications recognised under the MRPQ directive, lawyers practising under host title and approved statutory auditors. There are a number of issues which the Commission deemed to be outside the scope of withdrawal negotiations, including important rights such as home title practise for lawyers and the status of licenses and certificates. We will seek to reach an agreement with the EU that will cover these outstanding issues in the negotiations on the future economic partnership. The Prime Minister has been clear that we want UK professional qualifications to continue to be recognised across the EU in the future, and vice versa. This makes sense, given that they are already recognised. The March European Council agreed guidelines for negotiations on our future relationship, which reference the desire of the EU27 to include ambitious provisions on the recognition of qualifications. This is a useful starting point for our negotiations on the future economic partnership.

Department of Health and Social Care

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

baroness quin: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to ensure that UK citizens can participate in the European Health Card scheme(1) during, and (2) after,the transition period following the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

baroness quin: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have discussed the subject of the UK's future participation in the European Health Insurance Card scheme in their Brexit negotiations with the European Commission.

lord o'shaughnessy: We have agreed reciprocal healthcare arrangements for the purposes of the Withdrawal Agreement with the European Union. The current structure of EU rules and regulations will apply until the end of the implementation period, including the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) scheme.Individuals in scope of the Withdrawal Agreement will be entitled to reciprocal healthcare cover on the terms laid out under that deal.Reciprocal healthcare rights for individuals not in scope of the Withdrawal Agreement will be a matter for further negotiation with the EU. We have been clear that we want all current and future United Kingdom EHIC holders to benefit from EHIC rights, subject to a reciprocal deal.At every step of the negotiations we will work to ensure the best possible outcome for the British people.

Ministry of Defence

Future Large Aircraft

lord campbell of pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many A400M Atlas aircraft they intend to buy for theRoyal Air Force.

earl howe: The Ministry of Defence has ordered 22 A400M aircraft, of which 19 have been delivered to date. The 20th aircraft is due to be handed over shortly, and the final delivery is expected in 2022.

Military Aircraft: Lasers

lord campbell of pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect Royal Air Force aircrew from the consequences of being targeted by high power laser activity.

earl howe: Aircrew from all three services are provided with protective spectacles to give protection from high power laser activity. We regularly review how protection can be improved.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

lord campbell of pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the military effectiveness of unmanned helicopters.

earl howe: We continue to assess the military effectiveness of rotary unmanned aerial systems and have ongoing capability studies that will help inform our future manned and unmanned capability choices.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

lord campbell of pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Royal Air Force Squadron 617 will be fully operational; and what roles it will fulfil.

earl howe: It is planned for the Lightning Force to achieve Initial Operating Capability (IOC) from land bases in December 2018.At IOC the UK F-35B will, as a multi-role aircraft, have the ability to conduct a full range of missions including air-to-air and air-to-surface operations.In autumn 2018, we will begin initial flight trials for F-35B aircraft from HMS Queen Elizabeth, building towards delivering an Initial Operating Capability (Carrier Strike) from late 2020.

Military Alliances: European Union

lord campbell of pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to promote common procurement force specialisation and interoperability with members of the EU.

earl howe: The UK's capability and industrial cooperation, including joint procurement, is delivered through bilateral and multilateral relationships with our allies and partners. As the Prime Minister laid out in her Munich speech, the UK hopes to continue to collaborate with EU partners on defence research and development to support Europe's military capabilities and defence industrial base.

Armed Forces: Officers

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byEarl Howe on 28 February (HL569) and on 17 January (HL4523), whether a Head of Service who retired after the 5 star rank went into abeyance and who was informed that he would be treated in exactly the same fashion as a 5 star, is now no longer to be so treated; and if so, who made this decision.

earl howe: We have made no changes to the agreed five-star privileges accorded to the former Heads of Service, further to those I provided in my Written Answers of 30 November 2017 (HL3468), 12 December 2017 (HL3864), 19 December 2017 (HL4126), 17 January (HL4523) and 28 February (HL5695).



HL4523 - Armed Forces: Officers
(Word Document, 22.12 KB)




HL5695 - Military Decorations
(Word Document, 21.92 KB)

Trident Submarines

lord trefgarne: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the first Dreadnought-class nuclear submarine to enter service.

earl howe: The first Dreadnought Class nuclear-armed submarine will enter service in the early 2030s.

Afghanistan: Military Aid

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are considering an increase in the number of British troops deployed to Afghanistan; and if so, (1) how many, (2) when, and (3) for what purpose,army personnel would be deployed to Afghanistan.

earl howe: No decisions have been taken on sending additional UK troops to Afghanistan. The UK makes an important contribution to the non-combat NATO Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan, and as a result, our contribution is kept under regular review to ensure it remains suited to the needs of the mission.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Forestry Commission: Land

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many hectares of land were leased out by the Forestry Commission in (1) 2000, (2) 2005, (3) 2010, (4) 2015, and (5) 2018.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Forestry Commission did not introduce a system for centrally recording the area of land leased to third parties until 2018 so the figures for earlier years could only be provided at disproportionate cost. In 2018, 28,065 hectares of land were leased by the Forestry Commission; approximately 11% of the Public Forest Estate. Forestry Commission records of land use would suggest that the nature of the estate has remained fairly constant and as such the proportion leased is unlikely to have change significantly in the last 10 years.

Agriculture: Ammonia

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost to farmers of reducing ammonia emissions as proposed in their Clean Air Strategy.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government has a statutory commitment to reduce ammonia emissions from 2005 levels by 8% by 2020 and by 16% by 2030. Farming accounts for 88% of UK emissions of ammonia. Ammonia emissions are responsible for acidification of soils and freshwaters, and overloading land and water with nitrogen, which reduces biodiversity in sensitive habitats. Ammonia also reacts with other pollutants to form particulate matter which is harmful to human health. The Government’s consultation on a Clean Air Strategy, published on 22 May, is seeking views on three possible approaches to regulation in the agriculture sector. Defra’s initial assessment indicates that the costs in reducing ammonia emissions to meet our 2030 target in England will be around £73 million per year by 2030 (based on 2016 prices). We will be refining these estimates as we develop specific policies for further consultation. We will also refine our estimates of anticipated societal benefits. The government has recently consulted on a new system of financial support for farmers, this includes improving air quality and reducing ammonia emissions.

Hedgehogs: Conservation

lord hoyle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to reverse the decline in hedgehog numbers.

lord gardiner of kimble: There are a range of factors that have contributed to the decline of hedgehogs. As set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan, we are committed to creating or restoring 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat to provide benefits for species such as the hedgehog. Agri-environment schemes such as Countryside Stewardship provide funding to restore, extend and link important habitats and boost food resources for a range of species including hedgehogs. We continue to support the work being done by non-governmental organisations, such as the British Hedgehog Protection Society, including the creation of hedgehog havens and campaigns encouraging local communities to work together to look out for the hedgehog and make gardens as welcoming as possible.

Lead: Ammunition

lord krebs: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of theUpdate Reportfrom the Lead Ammunition Group, published in April,into harmful effects of lead shot on humans and animals.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government is currently considering the Update Report from the Lead Ammunition Group. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is currently carrying out a review of the potential risks presented by lead ammunition to establish if a case can be made to regulate their use within the EU. The Government will consider both the Lead Ammunition Group Update Report and the findings of the ECHA review before deciding whether any changes to the current Regulations are required. The EHCA review is expected to be published in the summer.

Home Office

Asylum: Children

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government within what period they aim to process asylum applications from children in Calais; and what steps they are taking to ensure such applications are processed within that period.

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what provisions they will make to ensure that child asylum seekers in Calais who have had their applications successfully processed are brought over to the UK.

baroness williams of trafford: Those transferred from France, whether it is under the Dublin III Regulation or section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016, are transferred as quickly as possible, and on arrival to the UK, will immediately enter the asylum system in the UK. Their asylum claim will be processed in line with our published guidance. We are under no obligation to consider asylum claims lodged outside UK territory, and we do not transfer those granted refugee status in another Member State to the UK.The Home Office currently has a service standard to make a decision on straight forward asylum claims within 6 months of the date of claim. The Home Office has clear internal guidance on the management of asylum claims and the factors that can lead to a case being designated as ‘non straight forward’. These cases are proactively managed to ensure barriers are cleared and decisions are made as soon as possible. Where a case is designated as ‘non straight forward the claimant will be informed of the delay to the decision.

Police: Biometrics

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce legislation on the use of facial recognition technology by police forces.

baroness williams of trafford: Facial recognition software is a new and potentially valuable law enforcement tool in reducing crime and protecting the public. Police forces are obliged, under the Protection of Freedoms Act, to have regard to the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice which requires the use of facial recognition systems to be clearly justified and proportionate in meeting its stated purpose.Similarly, the Information Commissioner’s Office has issued a Code of Practice, which explains how data protection legislation applies to the use of surveillance cameras and promotes best practice. The College of Policing’s Authorised Professional Practice governs the retention of facial images. The Government also plans to improve independent oversight and governance of police use of the technology.

UK Border Force: Right of Search

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether (1) customs officials, or (2) border officials, have the authority to request oroblige an incoming passenger to hand over any password to unlock their smart phone; and if so, on how many occasions in the past 12 months this has occurred at each principal gateway into the UK.

baroness williams of trafford: Border Force Officers can exercise either immigration or customs powers depending on their appointment as an Immigration Officer or a Designated Customs Official.When exercising immigration powers, a Border Force Officer may only search a person until it is satisfactorily established that the person is a British Citizen, may enter the United Kingdom without leave or has leave to enter the United Kingdom. The Immigration Officer may search for any documents relevant to their examination of the individual. It is possible that such documents could be contained on a mobile phone. Failure to submit to a search may result in the person being refused leave to enter, or could constitute an offence under section 26(1)(b) of the Immigration Act 1971, and / or could lead to the mobile phone being seized under paragraph 15A(7) of Schedule 2 to that Act.The Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 permits Border Force customs officers to question passengers regarding their baggage and anything carried with them, and to produce baggage for examination to ensure the payment of duties, to prevent the importation of prohibited items, or to search persons where there are reasonable grounds to suspect they are carrying prohibited or restricted goods or goods on which duty has not been paid. As part of this examination, they may request access to electronic equipment.Section 24 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 empowers Border Force immigration and customs officers in England and Wales to arrest persons who are committing an offence or who they have reasonable grounds to suspect are about to commit an offence. Section 32 permits them to search persons who have been arrested. Section 19 empowers officers to seize items that are evidence in relation to an offence.Under Schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000 a person must give an examining officer any information that the officer requests to establish whether the person is concerned in terrorist related activity. If a person fails to comply they can be prosecuted for wilful obstruction. While it is possible for designated Border Force Officers to be accredited to exercise Schedule 7 powers, in practice it is exercised at port by Police Officers.We do not hold information on how many times this has occurred in the past 12 months.

Immigration: Middle East

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many interpreters previously employed by foreign nations in Iraq and Afghanistan have come to live in the UK.

baroness williams of trafford: The UK operates two schemes to assist current and former locally engaged staff in Afghanistan. In total 1173 people have been relocated to date, of which 415 were locally engaged staff.The scheme in place to assist those who served with UK forces in Iraq is now closed. Under that scheme 1328 people were relocated of which 368 were locally engaged staff.Not all of those people relocated were interpreters, however they all met the eligibility criteria of the particular scheme. We do not relocate those employed by other nations under these schemes.

Northern Ireland Office

Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to make budgetary provision for the implementation of the recommendations of the Hart Report into historical Institutional Abuse in Northern Ireland.

lord duncan of springbank: The Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry was established by the Northern Ireland Executive, and Sir Anthony Hart’s report was provided to the Northern Ireland Executive. The responsibility for implementing the recommendations remains a devolved matter. That being said I welcome the preparatory work being taken forward by the Executive Office, to enable action to be taken swiftly once an Executive is restored.

Incinerators: Northern Ireland

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the judgment in the High Court in Belfast on 14 May by Mrs Justice Keegan that a decision taken by a civil servant to grant planning permission for a waste incinerator was unlawful.

lord duncan of springbank: I am aware of the judgment released on Monday 14 May on the Buick vs Department for Infrastructure case and the UK Government is considering its potential impact. Considering the importance of this judgment and the questions of law involved, I understand and welcome the NI Civil Service decision to appeal. It will be valuable to have these issues fully tested by the Courts so that there is clarity about the implications of the judgment. Since January last year, the NI Civil Service has continued to manage and maintain the delivery of vital public services in Northern Ireland in very difficult circumstances. The NI Civil Service are to be commended for the work they have and continue to do in the public interest. The Government remain firm in our view that the people of Northern Ireland deserve better. It is absolutely crucial that we secure the return of a functioning, effective, devolved government in Northern Ireland, to get back to the business of governing and to take the strategic decisions that affect the long-term future of Northern Ireland and its people.

Treasury

Income Tax

lord fox: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made an estimate of the additional revenue that would be raised if both capital gains and dividend income were taxed through income tax at the same rates as regular income and without separate tax-free allowances; and if so, what is that estimate.

lord bates: HM Revenue and Customs have not made an estimate of the additional revenue that would be raised if both capital gains and dividend income were taxed through income tax at the same rates as regular income and without separate tax-free allowances.

Capital Gains Tax

lord fox: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have produced any estimates of the additional revenue that would be raised by restricting capital gains relief on primary residences.

lord bates: HMRC publishes official statistics on Principal Tax Reliefs on gov.uk[1]. For 2017-18 the estimated cost of the exemption of gains arising on disposal of only or main residences is £27.8bn. [1]https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/675345/Dec_17_Main_Reliefs_Final.pdf

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Broadband

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings by Which? that broadband services to British households are on average 51 per centslower than the maximum advertised.

lord ashton of hyde: The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) found that allowing companies to advertise headline ‘up to’ broadband speeds - which only need to be available to 10% of customers - was misleading. As a result, the ASA has announced that numerical speed claims should be based on the download speed available to at least 50% of customers at peak time, and described as ‘average’. This guidance came into effect from 23 May 2018, and has been welcomed by Which? In addition, Ofcom has amended its code of practice on broadband speeds. From March 2019, Ofcom will require companies to provide customers with a minimum guaranteed speed and more realistic speed estimates for peak times at the point of sale. If a customer's broadband speed falls below the minimum guaranteed speed, the provider will have a month to improve speed, after which customers will have the right to exit their contract without paying a penalty.